Last



y 1940. c. DE MINICO 9,483

LAST

Filed Oct. 20, 1938 AWE/Wm 54M 22. M

a; Ma a Patented May 7, 1940 PATENT OFFICE LAST Charles De Minico, Winthrop, Mass, assig'nor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. Jersey J., a corporation of New Application October 20, 1938, Serial No. 236,050

Claims.

This invention relates to a last and is illustrated herein with reference to its application to the manufacture of shoes of the type in which lasting tacks or similar fastenings are clinched at the surface of the insole which is inside of the shoe.

' An objection to shoes of this type arises from the necessity for covering the clinched ends of the tacks as by the use of a sock lining which, in

0 the normal use of the shoe, may eventually become worn or displaced so as to expose the clinched ends of the tacks to the wearer's foot.

In View of the foregoing, the object of the,

invention is to provide a novel last adapted for use in carrying out a shoemaking method characterized by the use of an insole having sections into one of which, the main portion, the lasting tacks are driven and clinched the other section being used to cover the clinched ends of the tacks thereby obviating the use of a separate sock lining.

In accordance with this object, a principal feature of the invention is a last having a rigid clinching member, the clinching surface of which, for the purpose of supporting the main portion of the insole in its normal position heightwise of the last, is disposed below or beyond the normal bottom of the last, the member being spaced from the body of the last so as to allow the other portion of the insole, in the form of a fiapwhich is later to cover the clinched ends of the lasting tacks, to be inserted between the clinching member and the last body where it does not interfere with the lasting operation and is protected from the lasting tacks by the clinching member itself.

Another feature of the invention is a last having a clinching member a portion of which is arranged to extend heightwise of the, last continuously with the sides thereof and being adapted thereby to position an insole With respect to the last bottom by the engagement of the edges of the insole flap without impairing the continuity of the last surface between the sides of the clinching member and the last itself.

In order to further the accurate positioning of the insole with respect to the last, the above mentioned heightwise extending portion of the clinching plate, as embodied in the illustrated last and in accordance with another feature of the invention, is constituted by a rim by which the clinching member is held in spaced relation to the last body, the rim being fixed to the last body and being shaped in conformity to the contour of the last bottom thereby forming with the clinching member and last body an opening adapted to receive with a close'fit the insole flap which has a peripheral contour similar to that of the last bottom.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. lis a perspective view of a last embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, the section being taken across the forepart of thelast of Fig. '1, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, the section being taken lengthwise of the last of Fig. 1 and illustrating the relation of a split insole to the last.

The illustrated last It! has plates 12 and M at tached to the bottoms of the shank" and heel parts of the last, respectively, as in the case of a McKay last. However, the forward end of the plate I2 terminates substantially at the junction between the shank and the forepart; and the body of the forepart forwardly of the plate I 2 is covered by a clinching member l6 having a clinching surface I8, this member being inlaid'into a recess in the forepart so that the clinching surface is disposed beyond or below the normal bottom of the forepart as will be described'later. The clinching member l6 comprises a portion extending heightwise of the last in the form of a rim the outer surface of which is shaped continuously with the sides of the last heightwise thereof so as to avoid any discontinuity in the surface of the last, the rim also being shaped lengthwise of the last in conformity to the contour of the last bottom and extending from one side of the forepart to the other about its toe end.

The rim :0 is formed integrally with a base plate 22 which is seated on the bottomof the body of the'forepart and which, in the illustrated last, is fastened to the last body by screws 24 which are inserted into the base plate 22 through perforations 26 in the clinchingmember l6.

The insole to which an upper 28 is securedcomprises a main portion 30 from which a flap, 32 has been split from the toe end of the insole rearwardly thereof to a line corresponding to the junction between the forepart and shank of the last, although an insole made of two pieces which are united throughout their heel parts and shank portions may also be used without exceeding the scope of the invention.

The above mentioned inlaying of the clinching member l6 into the forepart is efiected by cutting a recess in the forepart above its normal bottom indicated by the line A (Fig. 3) to the level indicated by the line B, the depth of the recess being substantially equal to the overall height of the clinching member [6 minus the thickness of the flap 32.

Thus, the clinching surface I8 is brought to such a level C below or beyond the normal bottom of the last that the bottom of the main insole section 30 is supported in its normal position,

notwithstanding the reduction in thickness of the insole caused by splitting the flap 32 therefrom. The positioning of the insole 30 longitudinally and laterally ofthe last bottom is effected by the engagement of the edges of the flap 32 with the inner surface of the rim 20. If a flap of normal width is too stiff to accommodate itself to the lateral space between the inner opposite sides of the rim which is slightly restricted owing to the thickness of the rim, a strip equal inwidth to the thickness of the rim may be removed from the edge of the flap before it is inserted into the clinching member so that it will fit snugly against the inner surface of the rim 20 throughout its. length.

In the use of the illustrated last, the insole is placed upon it with the flap 32 inter-posed between the clinching member l6 and the base plate 22 with the main portion of the insole 39 covering the clinching surface l8 of the clinching member and the edges of the flap engaging the inner surface of the rim 20 whereby the insole is positioned so that its edge is in registerwith the peripheral contour of the last bottom. The prepared upper is then assembled on the last and lasted over the marginal portion of the insole, the upper and insole then being securely fastened together by tacks 34 the points of which in being driven against the clinching member [6 are clinched into the inner surface of the main portion 30 of the insole. The succeeding operations on the shoe, including the attachment of the outsole, are performed in the usual manner.

As the last is withdrawn from the shoe, the flap. 32 is easily bent around and slips past, the rear rounded edge of the clinching member [6, because of both the flexibility of the flap and the clearance between it and the clinching member at one side-and the base plate 22 at the other side. Later the flap 32 is cemented to, the main portion of the insole 30 thus coveringthe clinched ends of the tacks 34 which otherwise would be exposed in the forepart.

Although the invention is illustrated herein with reference to a last having a clinching mem ber embodied in its forepart, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to any particular part of a last and comprehends also a last having a clinching plate embodied in its heel part which obviates the use of a separate heel pad to cover the clinched ends of tacks or other fastenings which normally are exposed at the upper surface of an insole at its heel end.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A last having a rigid clinching member spaced from and overlying the body of the forepart throughout its entire width, the clinching surface of said member being disposed below the normal bottom of the forepart.

2. A last having a clinching member mounted in fixed spaced relation to the last body to permit the insertion of an insole section between said member and last body, the clinching surface of saidmember extending continuously across the last bottom from one edge to the other and being disposed below the normal bottom of the last.

3. A last having a clinching member rigidly mounted thereon, the lateral surfaces of said member and lastv being continuous with each other, said member and the last body being spaced so as to receive a sole section therebetween.

4. A last having a clinching plate fixed in spaced relation to the forepart, said plate having sides extending heightwise of the last and continuously, with; the lateral surfaces thereof whereby an insole section inserted between said plate and last is positioned relatively to the last bottom.

5. A last, the forepart of which is recessed above its normal bottom to receive a clinching plate, said plate being coextensive with and disposed in fixed spaced relation to the bottom of the forepart in such a position that the clinching surface of the plate is below the normal bottom of the forepart.

6. A last having a clinching plate inlaid into the forepart, said plate having a clinching surface disposed below the normal bottom of the forepart, said plate being spaced from the body of the forepart and having a rim extending from one side of the forepart to the other about the toe, said rim being continuous with the side and end surfaces of the last.

'7. A last having a rigid clinching plate spaced from the last body, a portion of said plate. extending heightwise of the last continuously with the sides thereof, the clinching surface, of said plate being disposed below the normal bottom of the last.

8. A last comprising a clinching plate, said plate having integral therewith a rimmed portion arranged to hold said plate in fixed spaced relation to the last body to permit the insertion of a sole section between said plate and the last body, the outer surface of the rimmed portion of said plate being continuous with the sides of the last heightwise thereof.

9. A last comprising a sole positioning member extending heightwise of the last from the edge of the last bottom and having a clinching plate fixedly mounted in spaced relation to the last body so that the clinching surface of said plate is disposed below the normal bottom of the last.

10. A last comprising a sole positioning member extending heightwise of the last continuously with the lateral surface thereof and from one side of the forepart to the other about the toe of the last, and a clinching plate fixedly mounted on said last in spaced relation to the last body so as to permit the insertion of a sole section between said plate andthe last body.

CHARLES DE MINICO. 

